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The NBA campaign begins now, marking the initial occasion in a ten years that Aussie two most prominent hoops names – Ben Simmons and Patty Mills – are teamless.

Their absence indicates a transition period, as Boomers’ backcourt duo Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels step up as key starters for playoff aspirants, with recently signed nine-figure contracts establishing them as some of the country's top athletic earners.

But they are not alone. A group of 14 Aussies are expected to play for minutes around the league, ranging from veteran centres Jock Landale and Duop Reath, up-and-coming forwards in Johnny Furphy and Josh Green, to intriguing rookies like Tyrese Proctor and Rocco Zikarsky.

Josh Giddey Aiming to Show His Worth

Following protracted negotiations with the Bulls, the guard ultimately inked his rookie extension worth US$100 million ($153m) over four years last month. It's a major deal for the Melbourne native, but in league standards it is cheap for Giddey’s position and profile as a primary ball-handler. The reluctance for Chicago’s front office to pay top dollar means the 23-year-old enters this year with a point to make.

Having been traded by Oklahoma City at the beginning of last season, he observed as his old team charged to the NBA championship without him. As the Bulls aim to reach the postseason in the less competitive East, he will have to demonstrate his scoring and defence are starter-worthy or else he may slide towards the NBA’s fringe.

Dyson Daniels Targets Further Growth

Daniels signed the identical contract as his counterpart this week, and after his MIP honor last season, the Atlanta player's career has taken off in the city following his exit from the Pelicans. He is now lauded as one of the NBA's best perimeter defenders, and led the league in steals with three per game – over one whole steal per match higher than the tally of second place.

Performing next to dynamic Trae Young in the Hawks, the 22-year-old can be effective this season as a playmaking option and defensive stopper as long as the team make the playoffs. But if he can improve his three-point shooting, which was below league average last season, and continue to enhance his distribution and attacking, Daniels could become one of the association's most versatile players.

Johnny Furphy On Highlight Watch

Pacers wing Furphy has emerged as a crowd favorite in Indiana following a series of spectacular slam dunks in exhibition games. His acrobatics led league figure Pat Beverley to describe him as the “best white dunker we’ve seen in a while”, and an opportunity to the All-Star dunk contest could be a possibility.

After playing just 8 mpg per game over 50 games in his debut season, the ex- Maribyrnong College student is in contention for a Pacers rotation that might lean towards young players following setback to lead guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Tyrese Proctor An Outside Shot

Guard the Sydney native fell in the NBA Draft all the way to the 49th pick, where playoff hopefuls the Cavaliers picked him. The Cavaliers are favourites to reach the Finals from the Eastern Conference, so it would be rare for a rookie taken in the second round to see significant court time. But the Sydney product has seen minutes in pre-season, and his NBA-ready shot offers him a chance to contribute.

Minutes Crunch Ahead for Veteran Quintet

Seasoned big man Jock Landale has a chance to claim the starting five spot in Memphis given highly-touted Zach Edey will miss the start of the campaign after ankle surgery.

In Portland, Duop Reath is the experienced reserve to youthful big men Donovan Clingan and Yang Hansen, but could play regular action if the Blazers become competitive. His fellow player Matisse Thybulle is likely to be used as a defensive specialist off the bench.

In the Hornets, Josh Green’s summer shoulder surgery has resulted in him with no return date to return. The player still has a contract for the upcoming year, but will not want to allow his colleagues at the developing Charlotte too much head start. And injury has already slowed Dante Exum, who has a knee problem and has missed important pre-season opportunities in Dallas.

Aussie Hoopers On the Fringe

Then there are those who are unlikely to see a lot of, if any, game action this season. Thirty-eight-year-old Joe Ingles is back in the Timberwolves, but seems to be primarily a big brother ensuring Anthony Edwards focused.

Rookie Rocco Zikarsky is likely to be nurtured by the Wolves through their G-League team. Other rookies Lachlan Olbrich in the Bulls and Alex Toohey for the Golden State Warriors are also in the development pipeline, while the experienced Luke Travers will be aiming to earn minutes with his compatriot for the Cavaliers.

Ben Simmons and Patty Mills Seeking Contracts

If there were any doubts Mills was set to retire, he addressed it with a workout video shared on his social media over the weekend, showing the veteran is still sharp and focused on landing another NBA contract.

What Simmons is thinking is uncertain after an break in his homeland, angling and using with a Sherrin. Although he posted on Instagram recently to deny suggestions he was done, the 29-year-old – an All Star as recently as 2021 – has yet to return to the league.